The French Christian Workers' Confederation (CFTC) held its 47th convention in November 1999, following a period in which disagreements had split its governing bodies. Alain Deleu was re-elected as president for a third term.
Download article in original language : FR9912123NFR.DOC
The French Christian Workers' Confederation (CFTC) held its 47th convention in November 1999, following a period in which disagreements had split its governing bodies. Alain Deleu was re-elected as president for a third term.
On 17-20 November 1999, 1,500 delegates met in Dijon for the 47th congress of French Christian Workers' Confederation (Confédération française des travailleurs chrétiens, CFTC). Internal tensions, already apparent at the confederation's 1996 Nantes convention, have deepened, while support for the CFTC in the December 1997 elections of employee representatives on industrial tribunals Conseils des prud'hommes) fell to 7.53% from its 1992 level of 8.58% (FR9712185F).
CFTC's representation in the workplace remains limited. It receives an average of 5% of the vote in works council elections throughout France (FR9905185N). However, the confederation has stronger support in specific regions such as Alsace, Lorraine and in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais and in certain sectors, in particular, private education, health, social services and metalworking.
CFTC has made great use of the new "mandating" procedure for the negotiation of agreements on the reduction of the working time in small companies, whereby employees may be mandated by union to negotiate agreements in companies where there are no union delegates (FR9904177N). In terms of the number of agreements concluded by employees who it has mandated, as of the end of September 1999, CFTC, with 1,379, is second only to CFDT (2,881) and ahead of CGT (894).
Alain Deleu, who was the only candidate for the position of president of CFTC in 1993 and 1996, was challenged in 1999 by Bernard Ibal, president of CFTC's managerial and professional staff organisation, UGICA-CFTC. Mr Ibal advocated a "new kickstart" for CFTC by reasserting, in particular, the need for the union to be "independent from all political and religious movements bound to particular stances". Mr Deleu, on the other hand, refused to get involved in this debate, preferring instead to advocate a policy of uniting the whole union. This approach was set out in the activity report, entitled The rightful place of work (Travail, reprends ta place), and orientation paper, entitled Actors and partners: at the heart of the company (Au coeur de l'entreprise. Acteurs et partenaires), put to the delegates for approval.
At the close of the congress, Mr Deleu was re-elected as president for a final three-year term and the activity report and the orientation paper were adopted by 75% and 93% of delegates respectively. The highlights of discussion were the heated debate on the issue of relations with other union confederations and the reassertion of the primacy of CFTC's commitment to the World Confederation of Labour (the broadly Christian-oriented world trade union body) over that to the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC).
Το Eurofound συνιστά την παραπομπή σε αυτή τη δημοσίευση με τον ακόλουθο τρόπο.
Eurofound (1999), CFTC holds 47th congress, article.
